A Victory in Defeat
by SoulofChrysamere
Summary: Another clash between two fisherman friends in the small village of Khuul.


I love both the Elder Scrolls and chess, and so I thought a fitting first attempt at writing would be one that combines them.

Badael Denaren trumped up the old, weatherbeaten stone steps and came to the door of the local pub. Raindrops pelted his dark blue skin as he lifted the old wooden door's latch and stumbled inside. The threshold, made slick by the wet soles of the patrons shoes, threatened to sweep his feet out from under him and crack his head open like an ironwood nut on the stone stairs.

Badael, however, maintained his balance, and turned to relieve his shoes of the water that had flooded their bulging walls. He removed his shoes and let the water fall from them down the stairs.

After a short while, the river ceased to flow, and Badael donned his shoes once again, still damp with water. He turned to face the inside of the small building. He could see orbs of blue light hung on chains that darted across the ceiling. The blue lights granted the room's layout visibility to Badael's eyes. Badael could see people talking with each other seated at small tables. Some tables bore food and drinks, some bore only one of the two, and still others were crowned with small boxes from which little wisps of different colors rose.

Badael strolled past a few of the tables, where he observed hands of all colors and races manipulating utensils and colored figures. He finally spied a table where a big, burly green creature was sitting. He could see a little box with small figures strewn across the table, and the green brute was seated with his arms folded on the table and his back slightly bent. He had an expression on his face that told Badael that he was waiting for someone.

As Badael neared the table, the green man's gaze floated over to him, and his face lit up. He leaned back in his chair and said in a rather hoarse voice, "Well well, you've shown up after all."

"Yep, even though I think I already know my fate." Badael answered in a calm, soft voice.

"You never can tell with chess." the green giant said. "Who knows, this might be the night that you finally beat me!"

"Maybe." Badael replied in a sarcastic tone as he sat across from the green man.

"Heh, you may think me a genius, but I've had my share of defeats, some more embarrassing than the ones I've handed you."

"Well, I will say that you are the only Orc chess player that I have ever seen. A lot of people think your race one of idiotic barbarians, with some justice." The Orc let out a hearty chuckle and held up two monstrous green fists.

"Choose." the Orc said. Badael poked the left fist with a long, slender blue finger. The Orc turned the fist over and extended his fingers, unveiling a small, dark brown piece. "You're black." said the Orc as he lowered his hands.

Badael took the little dark piece and placed it in its place as the Orc restored the missing light piece to its place. Badael looked over the checkered board, and over the four rows of pieces. A battle was about to begin.

"Prepare yourself." the Orc bellowed in a joking voice.

"I would if I could." Badael replied in the same tone. The two duelists fixed there eyes on the board, and the Orc advanced his king's pawn 2 squares forward. Badael returned the favor by advancing his king's pawn forward 2 squares as well.

As time went by, position on the board constantly changed shape. Some pieces were moved, others exchanged, still others unmoved since the beginning of the game. Badael kept his concentration focused on the task at hand, refusing to be distracted by the low rumble of chatter and the soft thumps of wood striking wood that stemmed from all directions. He took sizeable amounts of time for many of his moves, while the Orc gave no more than a few moments of consideration to most of his. Badael wondered how that green mountain of flesh and muscle could so quickly find moves that matched the ones that he spent what seemed like milennia trying to find. Every now and then, he glanced up at the Orc's face, and he could see from his expression the patience that only came from many long years of playing against people that thought forever on moves.

Once again, it was Badael's turn to move. For fifty-six turns, and he had been counting, he had maintained what he considered an even position against the old green Orc. Now, however, he thought that he saw a move that looked like it improved his position, and could possibly give him an advantage.

Badael's mind once again plunged into the abyss of time as he studied the move with all his might. The move looked so promising, and he could almost hear the piece that he considered moving and the square begging him to unite them. Badael remembered past games where he thought he had assembled a superior position against his green friend only to be crushed a short while later. Those flashbacks now taunted him, bringing forth the memories of that false sense of superiority that had ensnared him so many times. Badael tried to think of alternatives, but no matter what he looked at, his mind kept drifting back to that one move.

Badael struggled with the decision for quite a long time, much longer than on any other move this game. However, the Orc maintained perfect composure, that look of patience never leaving his wrinkled face. At long last, not seeing any other good move, Badael gingerly lifted the piece and rested it on the square. Those memories of false senses of security still mocked him, but he was determined to avenge all of those lost games tonight. After making the move, his eyes flitted up to look upon the Orc's face once again, and this time, they saw something new.

Badael saw what looked like a slight sense of bewilderment on the old Orc's face. Could he finally have caught the man in one of his mistakes? Was this the night that those haunting memories feared would come? Would he finally, dare he think, beat him?

Badael retreated his gaze from the Orc's face and once again locked his eyes on the board and pieces. Finally, he saw a big green hand dip down and relocate a piece to another square. Badael then reentered into his world of deep thought and concentration, as he did every turn of a game.

The game wore on, and although what seemed like centuries to Badael had gone by, a small amount of moves were made. From that attractive move Badael had seen on move fifty-six, the position had changed shape less than ten times. It was now move sixty-two and all traces of Badael's seemingly terrific position had vanished. Once again, the old Orc's skill and experience had seemed to award him the victory. Badael played on for five more moves before finally resigning in the face of a forced mate in three.

Badael leaned back in his chair and looked up at the ceiling, his mind grateful for being relieved of such tedious calculation. He brought his eyes back down to the game board and stared at it. Then, he heard the Orc say, "What happened?"

Badael looked at the Orc with a quizzical expression and said, "What do you mean?"

"Here, let me show you." replied the Orc.

Badael looked at the board as the Orc arranged the pieces to depict a position that they had been in near the end of the game. Then, a feeling of shock came over him when he recognized the setup as the one that had arisen right after he made that one particular move.

"You had a forced checkmate." the Orc said plainly.

Badael just stared at him in astonishment.

"You finally caught me in a mistake," the Orc continued. "but you failed to follow it up correctly. You could have forced a mate in four moves regardless of what move I made."

Badael just looked at the board as the Orc proved his claim by sacrificing a dark piece so the others could crash in and corner the light king. Just as he said, the light king was completely trapped in four moves.

After he finished the sequence, the Orc looked up at Badael, who in turn came up to meet his gaze. "I never even thought I could try to checkmate you. I would have never found that sacrifice."

"You are very hesitant to sacrifice pieces," said the Orc, "and that's what I was banking on. As long as you did not make that move, I was fine. It took two moves to render that sacrifice useless, and you allowed me those two moves. I could then proceed with my own attack plan."

Badael looked at the board, and then at the Orc. "Well, good game. Well played, even though you should have lost." Badael said.

"Like I said before we played." the Orc replied, "You never know in chess."

"Goodbye, Borgak." Badael said, rising from his seat and turning toward the door.

"Bye, Badael." the Orc replied. "See you tomorrow."

Badael walked out of the tavern and down the old stone steps. It was still raining outside, but he didn't feel the drops hitting him. He was absorbed in the fact that finally, after so long, he had caught the old Orc in a mistake. He might not have won the game, but darn it, he finally caught that old Orc! He walked home with forceful steps, his back straight, and his head held high. Just catching his friend in a mistake was, to him, a great victory in and of itself.


End file.
